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BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA REQUEST
DATE: November 4, 2014
TO: Honorable Chairman and Members of the Board
FROM: Rick Owen
SUBJECT: Letter of Support - Northwest Florida Estuaries Restoration Program
Proposal
DEPARTMENT: County Administrator
BCC DISTRICT: ALL
STATEMENT OF ISSUE: Staff requests the Board approve and authorize the Chairman to
sign the letter of support for the Northwest Florida Estuaries Restoration Program Proposal and
transmit the letter to Governor Rick Scott.
BACKGROUND: The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (GCERC) has asked for
water quality and habitat restoration projects to be funded from Pot 2 of the RESTORE Act. Pot
2 funding is controlled by the Council.
The GCERC has asked each of the 5 Gulf of Mexico coastal States to submit 5 project ideas to
the Council for funding consideration. After consultation among the 8 "disproportionately
affected counties" (Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Franklin, Gulf, and Wakulla
Counties) staff suggests that a regional application would have the highest chance of success
and the most positive environmental benefits for the region. Both the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the Council itself have indicated a preference for these
types of large area or regional projects.
The following are the goals (taken from the application) of this approach:
1. Develop a watershed-based plan founded on a unified, holistic vision for a healthy
watershed and that identifies the most pressing environmental issues affecting the
watershed and solutions that address the issues, regardless of political jurisdiction and
funding source.
2. Develop a list of projects in each watershed that specifically addresses solutions to the
identified issues and the root causes of the issues. The project list can be used to pursue
project funding for RESTORE Act and non-RESTORE Act related funding programs
(e.g., grants and Public Private Partnerships) by clearly documenting the need for the
projects in the context of how they will address solutions to the identified watershed
issues.
3. Provide a screening tool for the communities, FDEP, Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission (FWC), National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Gulf
Environmental Benefit Fund (NFWF GEBF) and the GCERC to use as they evaluate
project priorities for potential funding.
4. Focus stakeholder efforts in each of the watersheds and across the regions to increase
long-term coordination and maximize effectiveness of funding and efforts.
If the Northwest Florida Estuaries Restoration Program Proposal is approved by the State of
Florida as one of the 5 allowed applications, it will be forwarded to the GCERC for
consideration.
OPTIONS: Approve/Disapprove letter of support.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends the Board approve the letter of support for the
Northwest Florida Estuaries Restoration Program Proposal and authorize the Chairman to sign
and transmit the letter to Governor Rick Scott.
RECOMMENDED BY:
APPROVED BY:
John Hofstad, Interim County Administrator